Tooth Decay
Tooth decay is plaque colorless, sticky film that covers your teeth and creates an environment in which bacteria erode tooth enamel, cause gum irritation, infection in inner structures such as pulp and the roots, and in extreme cases, tooth loss.
Some of the causing plaque are foods rich in refined sugar and carbohydrates, including soda beverages, some juices, and candy.
The acid from plaque may damage dental fillings and other restorations in your mouth, which can lead to costly treatment down the road.
Plaque and tartar are the main cause of tooth decay. It can also cause your gums to become inflamed and bleed. The plaque underneath your gums pockets may cause periodontal bacterial disease, which may lead to gum loss, gum receding gums and eventual tooth loss.
Inside a tooth cavity, decay can gradually destroy the inner layer or dentin. It can also destroy the tooth nerve, which contains blood vessels within the root.
Periodontal disease is advanced gum disease. This serious condition occurs when the gums and bone break down from the bacterial infection. Bleeding gums is one of the signs of periodontal disease.
Crooked tooth cause tooth decay
Crooked teeth can cause serious tooth decay problems including emotional issues due to pain.
There are several reasons why some people’s teeth are crooked and twisted. Often, people’s mouths are small for their teeth, which causes them to overlap. In other clinical cases, a person’s upper and lower jaws aren’t the same size or are not properly aligned. This can result in an overbite where there is excessive protrusion of the upper jaw or an underbite where the lower jaw protrudes forward.
Misaligned teeth can wear unevenly over time and cause teeth enamel to weaken. Other problems associated with misaligned teeth include excessive wear, headaches, jaw pain known as TMJ, and difficulty in cleaning teeth potentially causing an increase in tooth decay and gum disease like gingivitis an periodontitis.
Preventative Measures for Tooth Decay
The two best defenses against tooth decay and gum disease are a healthy, well-balanced diet and good oral hygiene, including daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste, flossing, and rinsing. Most public drinking city water contains fluoride, but if you are unsure of your water supply, then use a good quality mouth rinse containing fluoride.
A good way to help your oral health between brushing is chewing sugarless gum; this stimulates your body’s production of saliva, a powerful chemical that actually neutralizes plaque formation and rinses decay-causing food particles and debris from your mouth.
In some clinical cases, our dental office can prescribe anti-cavity rinses or apply special anti-cavity varnishes or sealants to help fight decay.
Tooth Decay Pain
Tooth decay damage the outer protective layer of the tooth known as enamel. Decay exposes the nerve causing tooth sensitive teeth, sharp pain and toothache . You would need to see a dentist to have your tooth decay treated and a filling dental procedure.
When decay is present don’t delay in making a dental appointment to get it treated. The tooth decay related pain won’t stop entirely until your dentist is able to remove the decay and seal the tooth with a filling. Keep in mind that before you take any pain-relief steps, call your dentist for an appointment as soon as possible. But, if you can not be seen right away, then ask the dentist what is the best pain medication you can take for the pain. The best over-the-counter pain relief medications are Motrin and ibuprofen. Never exceed the label recommended dose in an attempt to get more tooth decay pain relief. Motrin and ibuprofen pain medications reduce inflammation and that is why they work best. Ibuprofen is a medication, in particular, is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) class that is used for treating tooth decay pain related tooth inflammation.
Most tooth pains are caused by inflammation of the tooth tissues and the nerve. You should never place these pain medication directly on the tooth and gum tissue, as this would burn to your gums and worsen the pain.
No Sweet and Acidic Foods and Beverages
Avoid foods and beverages that contain a high content of processed sugar and food that are acidic as these worsen the tooth decay condition. Your teeth may or may not be immediately sensitive to them the same way as hot and cold, but they can contribute to further decay and more pain.
Avoid Cold Foods and Beverages when you have tooth decay
Bacteria in plaque and tartar produce acid that eats away tooth your enamel. Enamel is the tooth protective lawyer to temperature changes. Therefore, you should avoid foods and beverages that are very cold. Since the inside tooth has been damaged by the tooth decay, it may react painfully to extremes cold and hot in temperature changes. You may want to brush your teeth with warm and room temperature water rather than cold water.
Brush and Floss more often
Increase the brushing and flossing frequency to help introduce more fluoride to the painful area and reduce the acidic environment within the tooth decay and floss more between the teeth where the painful tooth is located.